About our Sub-Section

THE “Sandgate Sub-Section” of the Naval Association of Australia Incorporated (the “NAA”) has a distinguished history.

Prior to 1954 the Association's “Queensland Section” had responsibility for the entire membership list and this rapidly proved impractical for administration purposes in such a geographically-vast State.

In 1954 some Queensland Section members broke away to form the Sandgate Sub-Section, with the remaining members rebadging Queensland Section into the “Brisbane” Sub-Section.

A State Council was formed with officers elected from members of the two Sub-Sections and the first State Conference was held at the Naval Depot in 1955, hosted by Brisbane Sub-Section.

In 1972 “Northside” was added to the Sandgate Sub-Section name after a cohort of members voted to break away and form a “Bramble Bay” Sub-Section to cater for the growing interest in the district north of Sandgate itself.

Bramble Bay Sub-Section formally came into existence on 26 March 1973 with an initial roll call of 32 Royal Australian Navy, Royal Navy, Royal Australian Navy Reserve and Women's Royal Australian Navy Service veterans.

In the “Our Club” history of the Sandgate Returned Services League Sub-Branch, an article about the origins of Sandgate Sub-Section recounts that Mr. Jack Thorne was the last surviving foundation member of the Bramble Bay NAA offshoot.

“There is one surviving member, Jack Thorne, who joined the Association on 5th May 1974, and is still financial with the present Naval Association,” the unnamed chronicler in 1997 wrote.

“Jack was Royal Navy and served on [Her Majesty's Ships] Glory, Eagle and Victorious — all aircraft carriers.”

Through the decades Sandgate Sub-Section rebadged itself as local circumstances and membership priorities waxed and waned.

In 1983, Leonard D. (“Len”) Nolan, C.J. (“Charlie”) Tracey and Hugh J. Drummond joined the Association. Len became president after Trevor J. Leutton relinquished the position due to a sudden illness. Charlie became treasurer in February 1984 and Hugh became secretary in 1988 upon the death of Bob Butler.

In 1985, because of identification issues the Sub-Section was having with the Australian Naval Cadets unit that had formed on the Woody Point side of Bramble Bay, the Sub-Section changed its name to “Bramble Bay-Sandgate.”

Len Nolan, Charlie Tracey and Hugh Drummond held their elected positions on the executive of the rebranded organisation.

In 1988 Northside Sandgate Sub-Section decided to change their venue of meetings to the Kedron-Wavell Services Club and accordingly changed their name to “Northside-Wavell Sub-Section”.

This meant that the word “Sandgate” was off our official shingle for the first time in 34 years.

In 1989 Bramble Bay-Sandgate Sub-Section decided to do away with “Bramble Bay” in its name, returning the stand-alone name of “Sandgate Sub-Section” to the roll call of Sub-Sections in the Sunshine State.

Shortly after, Northside-Wavell Sub-Section folded, with most of its members transferring to either Sandgate or Brisbane Sub-Sections.

Upon the death of Len Nolan in June 1996, H.L. (“Darby”) Ashton became president pro-tem until duly elected in February 1997 when the Sub-Section boasted 68 financial members on its books. In 2025, Darby, after a long stint as president, was elected our treasurer, with Don Churchward ably filling the vital role of secretary.

Sandgate lays claim to being the first NAA Sub-Section formed in Queensland, and its members hold fast to the traditions, values and community-focused outlook established all those years ago by shipmates who went before us.

CMDR Darryl Neild OAM CGMM (RAN, Retd.)
President, 2024-2025
Naval Association of Australia (Sandgate Sub-Section) Incorporated
[email protected]